CEEAC – Trade: Sao Tome committed to the operationalization of the Ceeac Free Trade Area in 2017

Marie Thérèse Chantal Mfoula, Deputy Secretary General of the Economic Community of Central African States (Ceeac), led a delegation a few days ago to Américo d’Oliveira dos Ramos, Minister of Finance, José da Graça Diogo , President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.

The stay of this delegation in Sao Tome was the ninth stage of a circular mission planned to take place in all 11 member states of Ceeac. It follows the decisions taken by the highest political authorities in the Community area, meeting in the Council of Ministers in Kinshasa on 13 May 2016, which have taken “a firm commitment to make every effort to ensure that the FTA (Free trade agreement) of Ceeac be effective in January 2017 “and have adopted a road map for this purpose, the follow-up of which has been entrusted to the General Secretariat.

Marie Thérèse Chantal Mfoula also advocated to the Sao Tomean authorities for the establishment of the National Committee for Industrial Accreditation responsible for examining and issuing reasoned technical opinions on applications for product approvals by Local businesses at Ceeac’s preferential tariff.

She also requested that the customs authorities be able subsequently to take the necessary implementing texts for the implementation of the tariff during customs clearance of goods originating in third countries of the Community.

At the end of the meetings with the political authorities of Sao Tome, she and her followers were assured of the accession of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe to the regional integration project, as well as the commitment of the authorities To make the necessary arrangements for the inclusion of the preferential tariff of Ceeac in the law of finance for the year 2017.